ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. staff — employees
  6. face — to point toward
  7. staff — employees
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bound — certain
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pound — a weight
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. swing — in golf
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. sharp — clever
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bound — tied together
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. swing — music
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bound — obliged

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com